Tuesday, January 24, 2017

I'm currently in a bit in shock; in fact, I shed tears when it happened. After graduating with a degree in education 40 years ago, and spending over 36 of those years in public education, Monday was a new milestone for me... I submitted my retirement letter to our Board of Education, effective May 31, 2017.

How is that possible?!! I have loved almost every minute of my career in education. It was never just a job for me; it was a passion, and still continues to be.

So, what does this have to do with choosing my One Little Word for 2017? I've been thinking about a guiding word to help me navigate these new roads head, whatever they may be. I want to be present in all these "last" moments of my full-time career, and I also want to look ahead with excitement and expectancy to the new experiences that lie ahead. So many possibilities.

Several words crossed my mind, but I kept coming back to the same one: SAVOR.

I want to savor the moments and memories and learning and collaboration with colleagues between now and May 25 (our official last school day this year).

And as I embark on new journeys beginning June 1, I want to savor all the new possibilities that will make themselves known to me. I want to travel a great deal, do more writing, connect with friends and family regularly, give back by volunteering, stay open to part-time opportunities in education, spend more time on our screen porch, learn new things.